The history that comes from war

[Marvel]

This isn't a political statement, but I certainly found this interesting. It's a WWII story, and how land on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina became leased to England in perpetuity. I never knew that Germany had sunk over 100 ships directly off our coast during the war, either.

 

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20190711-the-us-land-forever-leased-to-england

[tromprof]

My mom has told me stories of finding wreckage from torpedoed shipping washed up on shore at her families place on Holdens Beach (NC), and having to have blackout curtains at night. 

[Ceptorman]

That’s interesting, I never knew that. 

[rplace]

I've been to Ocracoke many times, never knew that. Thanks for posting!

[Bosco-d-gama]

I just recently learned that Charles Lindbergh (the guy who 1st flew across the Atlantic) did participate in ww2. Lindbergh was a very outspoken isolationist/pacifist prior to America entering the war and because of his notoriety was widely known for his opinions. After Pearl Harbor he changed his mind but it was too late as he’d already p.o.’d the powers in gov’t. Lindbergh was a flight officer in the reserves but had resigned his commission to protest America’s war footing and Roosevelt refused to reinstate his commission once he’d changed his mind. 

 

Lindberg somehow how ended up in the pacific war theater as a civilian flight consultant and started flying combat missions testing out various aircraft. He did drop bombs and he straffed Japanese ships and he shot down one Japanese plane in a p38 lightening. He flew about 44 combat missions. Lindbergh made a single huge contribution....... he learned how to get the most mileage from these fuel guzzling warplanes. His cross Atlantic flight training taught him how to conserve fuel and he taught those tricks to our pilots. In the broad pacific arena getting the longest flight time was very critical in supporting naval fleets and ground combat actions. With this knowledge the army and navy greatly expanded the operational distances for certain aircraft which vastly improved our execution of the island hopping campaign. Who knows how many American lives he saved. However Lindbergh’s activity was not sanctioned by the gov’t. He was allowed to fly as a civilian pilot only because local commanders saw his potential. Once upper level officers got wind of him flying he was removed and sent home.

[y2keglide]

I knew the German u-boats were sinking ships on the eastern seaboard and that being a merchant marine was a dangerous job in the late 1930's and early 40's.

My Dad was a 31 year old shipyard welding shop foreman when the war broke out,he tried to enlist in the Navy but was declined.

They wanted him to teach his skills stateside and so he did teaching many a Rosie the Riveter how to build ships at the Kaiser yards in Portland,Oregon.

What many don't know is that the Japanese attacked the West coast in several places including the Oregon Coast.

Jap submarines shelled the coastline but caused little damage and they also sent balloon bombs over the west coast and did kill some civilians in Oregon.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/1945-japanese-balloon-bomb-killed-six-americansfive-them-children-oregon-180972259/

 

After this attack http://www.offbeatoregon.com/o1101e-Japanese-submarine-blasted-its-way-into-Oregon-history.html I remember my dad telling me there was a run on the hardware stores and guns/ammo sold out in a short period of time,people thought we might be invaded.

 

[billybob]

There was a big boat toting lumber supposed sunk off Cape San Blas by sub. That would be in view of Mexico Beach, Fl Dad said he saw one during the war while over on panhandle. Of course talking the gulf...